LSU FANS get torched
Read paragraph #8 from AP writer Jim Litke to LSU fan
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This was in respose to emails griping about his column which stated USC could beat OU & LSU on back to back days. I know I am a predjudiced person on this subject, but I happen to think no team this season could roll over LSU--even USC. Beat us--maybe, but we have far to much defense to get rolled over.-----here it is
believe it. Jim Litke responded to my email.
Posted by LSULee using 152.163.252.36 on January 8, 2004 at 10:58 a.m.
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Of course it was automated but a response none the less.
Mr. Litke,
Before you write me off as an LSU homer, I'd just like to know what game you were watching Sunday night? All year long we've heard about how big and bad OU was from guys like you. If anyone was a paper champion it's because guys like you had put them in that role. The game was a great game and it clearly showed that LSU had the superior defense in the country. Apparently someone with more pull than I decided that Jason White was a Heisman winner. Apparently somebody thought all those other guys who got awards for OU were something. I know you've heard it before but the simple truth is BCS or no BCS LSU has gotten no respect. Even on a glorious night of victory that these kids worked so hard to achieve they got no respect...even Courso and Herbstreit dissed them on Sportscenter. It's time that you guys realized that LSU was the real deal and started giving credit to these kids. They are a great bunch of guys and they are role models here in Tigerland. At least give them some due.
Thanks for your time,
L.M.
His response:
All:
Thanks for writing and apologies in advance for responding with a form
letter, but too many e-mails arrived to answer each individually.
First of all, some of you should put away the crayons. Go f--- yourself is
not a response, it's a poor reflection on whoever raised you. I'm sure they
did what they could to provide you with an education, so for their sake try
and make better use of the few tools you have.
To the rest who responded thoughtfully, or at least in a civil manner, let
me start by clearing up a few points.
1.) AP writers do not vote in the AP poll, for the All-America team, Heisman
or even for postgame MVPs. The AP voters are 65 writers and broadcasters
scattered around the country, each of whom concentrates on college football
The idea is to have all areas of the nation represented. AP writers have no
vested interest in the poll, other than to make sure the votes are counted
properly. The AP ballot of every voter is available to anyone who wants
them.
2.) The BCS, ABC, the six major conferences and all the people who are
making millions off what is a psuedo-scientific scheme to dampen real
competition _ a playoff _ do not have a monopoly on the national
championship. Nobody agreed to anything, except for the coaches' poll, which
was sold to the BCS. That's why they couldn't vote their conscience,
whatever it was (even though three of them cast protest votes). Let's say
the championship games were equally unimpressive; you mean to tell me the 37
coaches _ a clear majority _ who put USC at the top of their poll a week
earlier withered to three? Please.
3.) The BCS computers are no smarter nor more objective than the people who
program them. The old maxim _ garbage in, garbage out _ applies. Most of the
programmers freely admit they never actually watch a game, and six of the
seven won't even publish their formulas. They don't however, weight losses
according to when they take place, don't consider margin of victory, don't
discriminate between home and away wins, and they don't account for
injuries, suspensions, etc. So if half the LSU defense had been sidelined
because of a car crash the week before the Georgia game, the computers
wouldn't have taken that into account. Anybody who believes a team in
September at home is the same team on the road in November is free to
believe the BCS computers.
4.) The "back-to-back" comment was hyperbole, not an insult. Anybody who
took it literally, my apologies. But common sense should tell you how it was
intended.
5.) Believe what you want, but the AP's reputation is built on objective
news reporting. I, on the other hand, am the AP's sports columnist and am
paid to express an opinion, but it's just that _ mine _ and everybody has
one. Since so many of you made a point of asking, I played a year of
football _ badly _ in high schoo and busted up an elbow. I went to the
University of Missouri and I live in Chicago, and the only bias I have is in
favor of cold-weather teams. How fair is it that teams that have to win
games in November on frozen fields always have to play for the championship
in warm climes? You need fat linemen and big defenders to do that in the cold, and then you go play teams with little wideouts and fast, light linebackers that get to play wide-open all season because they never have to deal with the elements. It's not coincidence that the Green Bay Packers are 35-1 at home in the playoffs, but the college system is what is (just as the Super Bowl is always held in the warm or played indoors). I'd love to see the SEC teams play at Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon on a cold, rainy night in November, but it ain't going to happen. Nobody said life is fair, but some of us cry a lot more about it than others, apparently .
6.) Since no major teams play more than a few games outside their
conference, the postseason is the truest measure vis a vis one another. I put those numbers in so readers could make of them what they wanted to. They clearly proved LSU and USC played a tougher schedule than Oklahoma. I've never been a big fan of Pac-10 football and I didn't believe USC was that good until I saw them _ in person _ at the Rose Bowl. Their defense recorded nine sacks against Michigan, which always has one of the best offensive lines in the country and only gave up 15 sacks all season. USC scored on drives of 27 seconds, then 55, 1:02 and 2:30 _ against the No. 6 defense in the nation. They could have scored at least twice more. Like all those award winners on Oklahoma, Matt Leinart may have put up numbers against inferior competition, but he did the same thing in a big game against Michigan (which would beat Oklahoma in a heartbeat. The Wolverines also manhandled Ohio State, which beat Kansas State, and Iowa, which pounded the snot out of your beloved SEC giants, Florida, which as I recall was an 8-5 team that beat LSU).
7.) I was at the Sugar Bowl and I'd venture to say I've seen more college and pro grames than anybody who wrote in _ different teams in all the major conferences _ and I talk to NFL scouts and general managers on a regular basis. If you think they're dying for Jason White or Matt Mauck to come out, I've got a bridge for sale.
8.) LSU has one of the best defenses out there, maybe the best. I said as much. But USC is not far behind and comparing the Southern Cal offense to LSU's is like comparing a Ferrari to a station wagon. Leinart broke (No. 1 NFL draft choice) Carson Palmer's single-season record in his first season at quarterback. Eli Manning is good, but he's not in Leinart's class,
either.
9.) Because of scheduling problems beyond its control, LSU registered wins over Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Tech and Western Illinois. So quit puffing your chest out about what a tough schedule they played. Florida was hardly better than Cal, and Georgia is quality opposition? They barely held off Purdue. Michigan, on the other hand, played four Top 10 teams before USC, beat them all, and still got whomped. Oklahoma's quality win was over Texas and the always overmatched Mack Brown, Enough said.
The reason we'll never settle the argument is that college football doesn't have a playoff. And if all those sheep who believe the BCS is objective and always right continue to believe that, we'll never get one. But at least check out what BCS chief Mike Tranghese said over the weekend about all themistakes they made.
Thanks again for writing. Happy New Year to all, even those of you who had
trouble spelling "moron."
Best,
Jim
